THE sorority is an ideal and attitudinal conception of female brotherhood linked to contemporary feminisms. It reorients the perception and attitude of a woman towards another through sympathy, acceptance and collaboration that range from simple everyday situations to systematic projects of mutual support between women.
The fluidity with which new technologies allow the exchange and dissemination of ideas is one of the factors responsible for the reach that feminisms and sorority have gradually reached to the over the past few years, to the point that this new word has been incorporated into dictionaries and into the daily lives of many women.
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What is sorority?
The word sorority comes from the Latin, soror, which means sister, therefore, carries the idea of female brotherhood. It is a feminine noun and a concept, under construction, about empathy, solidarity and acceptance among women. There is in it a gender cutout, a direction of this empathy of women towards other women.
It is difficult to pinpoint the historical origin of the use of this term. An example pointed out by Dandara Tinoco|1| is that, in North American universities, groups made up of young women were called sororities.
Ana Clara Bicalho|2| points out that in fourth wave of feminism, which emerged around 2012, linked to the use of social networks, the new modalities of interaction by digital means made it possible to formation of women's virtual communities, with exchanges of ideas, concepts, outbursts, complaints, alternative treatments, messages of encouragement, in short, strengthening ties and exchanging experiences about being a woman. In this context, sorority has become an important way to practice feminism and spread its flags.
Sority in Portuguese language
The word sorority is not yet present in all classic Portuguese dictionaries. And the female correspondent of the word fraternity, also derived from Latin, which means solidarity between brothers (frater)|3|.
O Priberam Dictionary defines sorority as: “A relationship of union, affection or friendship between women, similar to what would ideally exist between sisters. Union of women with the same purpose, generally of a feminist nature"|4|.
O Online Portuguese Dictionary presents the meaning of sorority: “Relationship of brotherhood, union, affection or friendship between women, similar to that established between sisters. [By Extension] Union of women who share the same ideals and purposes, usually of a feminist content, characterized by the mutual support evidenced between these women"|5|.
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Sority and feminism
The expression sorority has expanded its reach in in line with the expansion of interest and adherence to feminism. Guided by the ethical dimension, this concept also has a political character related to the search for gender equality and paving the way for that women reach prominent positions and power so that this equality is gradually built through laws, public policies, guidelines business.
Serority, as an idea and a practice, is a answer to misogyny, that is, to hatred or aversion to women. Misogyny, an extreme manifestation of structural machismo, is also reflected in the relationship between women, generating rivalry between them. The way to deconstruct this antagonism goes through the empowerment, which means empowering each other in practical situations which, although they may be related to the most diverse actions, have a political dimension for reallocating power. Therefore, sorority is an antidote to misogyny.
It is worth noting, however, that there are multiple feminisms precisely because the intersection of other variables, such as social class, ethnicity, economic position, intellectual baggage, among others, condition the demands, needs and aspirations of different groups of women, and these differences also interfere in the relationship of feminism with the serority.
Far from being a homogeneous and utopian articulation, the practice of sorority encounters several setbacks in the social, economic and political differences between women of different trajectories, which it also means that the conscious effort to overcome these obstacles generates a result multifaceted that contributes to the equalization of other gaps, beyond machismo. If you want to know more about this struggle of women, go to: What is feminism?
Importance of sorority
The psychologist Ligia Baruch|6|points out that the competition as well as collaboration they are primitive mechanisms of humanity used in the fight for survival. However, the acquired trait of patriarchal societies is evidenced in the differentiation between the reasons for competition between men and women.
While men compete with each other in the field of work, purchasing power, sports, women compete each other in affective and loving relationships. This competition is materialized in attitudes such as blaming another woman for the end of a relationship, not believing in a woman who reports a aggression, belittling another woman's physical characteristics, and judging female behaviors more rigorously than behaviors male. Situations like these distance women, putting them in constant opposition, distrust and rivalry.
Therefore, the practice of serority contributes to the social cohesion and to the construction of equality in relationships and social arrangements. Among the actions that give serority this ability and importance are: the equivalence of criteria to assess the attitudes of men and women, not rivalry with other women, the non-blaming of a woman victim of violence, and the willingness to help a woman who demonstrates the need for help.
Serority has as a mechanism a sophisticated asset of human socialization, the cooperation. In addition, its means and end is equity not only between women, but between men and women.
Read more:Femicide - homicide against women due to gender discrimination
How to practice sorority?
As a deconstruction of misogynistic processes based on the invisibility, discredit and inferiorization of women, the practice of serority involves positive and purposeful actions from one woman to another woman, such as acknowledging the merit of your work, taking your word for it, especially in occasions of denunciation, praise their commendable qualities and actions, collaborate with their projects, give emotional and action support effective.
Thus, the predisposition to attitudes of judgment, criticism and competition among women, through understanding and adherence to the practice of sorority, is replaced by willingness to listen, praise and collaborate. In addition to everyday attitudes of strengthening among women, practicing sorority also goes through Contribute so that women occupy decision and influence spaces, such as political and leadership positions.
So, practicing sorority encompasses a wide range of attitudes, ranging from offering a hug, listening to an outburst, offering to take care of the baby child for a few hours, teach some skill, indicate a job opening, publicize the work, even give legal assistance, vote and engage in the electoral campaign of another women.
Sentences
![Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian feminist and writer.[1]](/f/271c0c0bc4b8555e75bdfcb88571a6f0.jpg)
"Sorority is not loving all women, but not hating a woman for being a woman." (Babi Souza, creator of the Let's Together movement? and author of the book Let's go together?The sorority guide for all)
“We raise girls to see themselves as competitors — not for jobs or achievements, which I think it might be a good thing — but to get men's attention.” (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
"It messed with one, messed with all." (Unknown author)
"Be a woman who raises other women." (Unknown author)
“Women, forget about competition. We are not rivals, we are the revolution.” (Unknown author)
Grades
|1| TINOCO, Dandara. Sority, feminine noun. Getúlio Vargas Foundation.
|2| TOLEDO, Ana Clara Bicalho. empower me empower you. Rio de Janeiro: UFRJ, 2017.
|3| BECKER, Marcia Regina. Serority as an experience produced in participatory research. UNISINOS.
|4| SORORITY, in Priberam Dictionary of the Portuguese Language. Available in: https://dicionario.priberam.org/sororidade
|5| SORORITY. In: Online Portuguese Dictionary. Available in: https://www.dicio.com.br/sororidade/
|6| TINOCO, Dandara. Sority, feminine noun. Getúlio Vargas Foundation.
Image credit
[1] lev radin / Shutterstock
By Milka de Oliveira Rezende
Professor of Sociology
